


A Family of Thieves

by angellady



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Reader aka you are a hacker wow very cool, She/her pronouns for reader, drabbles take place AFTER part five, reader is in their early to mid twenties, there is not enough found family in canon so I will create it myself!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:22:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29793930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angellady/pseuds/angellady
Summary: Reader is a member of Team Lupin and this is a collection of one-shots about that.
Relationships: Arsène Lupin III/Mine Fujiko, Arsène Lupin III/Reader, Mine Fujiko/Reader, Reader's relationships are one-sided crushes that are not returned
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Celebration

With the completion of Team Lupin's most recent heist in France, it was time to celebrate.

In usual Lupin the III fashion, the thief had prepared quite the little party in a popular club in Paris. The space was just large enough that it would be easy for your group to be hidden amongst the other patrons, but ritzy enough that it would be quite difficult for just anyone to get in, especially someone like Inspector Zenigata. 

You take a small sip of the fruity drink Jigen had helped you to select and try to enjoy the scenery outside your table's glass window. Lupin himself was missing from the party, but you, Jigen, and Goemon had already begun to drink.

You hadn't known Lupin for very long, in fact you weren't even officially part of Team Lupin yet, despite having worked for the group for practically a year now. Lupin himself had contacted you last March to work as a hacker for him, having found your freelance listing on the dark web with the help of Ami (who'd recently put her own hacking career on hiatus while she attended university). 

Originally, the two of you had never planned on meeting in person, the work was supposed to be remote as all your past jobs have been, but your current hideout, a closet-sized, rundown studio apartment in a small European village had been only several hours out from the planned heist zone. Like most you'd heard rumors of Lupin and co.'s escapades since you were very little and were eager to see them work their magic in person. 

Despite not participating yourself, you'd followed the Lupin Game from several years earlier very closely. Though Lupin came off cocky and self-centered via the videos he'd posted on his own account, you couldn't doubt the man had unmatched charisma that just drew people to him - yourself included. 

Your job had originally been to remotely control the museum's security system without setting off the alarm or being detected by the firewall. Eager to meet him, you argued that success would be much more likely the closer you were to the area he planned to hit. It was an absolute lie (you'd completed security work from the other side of the globe before) and at first he'd seemed unsure, but without another option, he gave in. You'd completed your part of the operation without breaking a sweat and Lupin had been visually impressed by your technique, speed, and professionalism. 

He'd asked if you had any plans for the future and when you told him no, he offered to fly you out to the next location with himself and his group in return for your continued assistance. You weren't sure what had made you say yes. You'd lost your parents very young and since then you'd been living almost hermit-like - getting your food delivered, sending out your clothes to be washed, teaching yourself basic code with the help of free sites you'd located, and attending university classes online. You'd tried in-person school shortly after their death, but the trauma had been too much and you'd been close enough to eighteen that your aunt had let you leave without much argument. 

Leaving the country with a stranger, especially one known for having killed others in pursuit of treasure seemed like a pretty stupid move from a logical perspective, but what else did you have to do? You made ends meet via contracted cybercrime and were rewarded in cryptocurrency. It had been exciting at first but now it was just work. You wanted to feel some form of excitement again and you were certain Lupin could provide that. 

The few months you worked with him passed in a flash. To your knowledge, you were still on a trial basis - he was free to drop you whenever he felt like it, but you hoped your partnership would last long and possibly lead to a permanent position.

The other members of his group - Fujiko, Jigen, and Goemon - had been apprehensive upon your first meeting, but you could see they were warming up to you. They expressed their appreciation and love in different ways. Fujiko taught you necessary words in different languages prior to traveling to a country you hadn't been to before. Jigen showed you the appropriate way to hold a gun and how to dig a bullet out of one's skin. Even Goemon seemed much more comfortable around you - enough that he was able to tease you a little when he was feeling confident (usually after a few drinks).

"Hey, Y/N? You there?"

Jigen's familiar chuckle drags you out of your thoughts. You hadn't even noticed time had passed while you'd be reminiscing, but the waitress had apparently dropped off a few appetizers while you'd been distracted. 

"Yeah, I'm here. Just spaced out a little."

"Only half a drink and you're already falling asleep?" asked Goemon, his tone playful. There was a small smirk on his face. You glanced at his bottle of sake and were surprised to find that he was shaking out the final drops into his glass. "You're behind already."

"I didn't realize this was a contest," you retort and as if to demonstrate your drinking ability you chug down the remaining half of your cocktail.

"Hey! Hey!" interrupts Jigen, "You're supposed to sip and savor a drink like that. You're gonna make yourself sick, Y/N!"

You ignore him and instead raise an eyebrow in challenge at the samurai. Goemon chuckles and finishes off his own glass, "On to round two then?"

"Really, Goemon? Lupin isn't even here, you two can't get hammered yet." Despite this complaint, Jigen signals to the waitress for another round. "Slow down, you two."

"And what about you?" you retort as you motion at the half-empty wine bottle beside Jigen. "We've only been here a little bit and you're almost done. At least Goemon's bottle was small."

"I have a much higher tolerance than you."

"How could you know that? We barely know each other."

Jigen rolls his eyes. "How many times have I carried you back to the hideout after a night out?"

"Three times at most."

"If that's all you can remember, then you've proven my point." You stick out your tongue in response and Goemon laughs from his place at the table.

Not wanting to ruin the celebratory mood with a scolding from Jigen, you decide it's time to change the topic of conversation. "Where is Lupin anyway?" you ask. You hadn't seen him since the heist the previous night. Upon returning to your current hideout, he'd shared a glass of wine with the three of you and then scampered out the door, saying he'd meet up later. You hadn't seen him all morning or afternoon and with a quick glance at your watch, it was about an hour past the time he'd asked you all to arrive. "It's been weirdly quiet without Lupin trying to flirt with anyone who will humor him."

Jigen and Goemon share a look, refusing to acknowledge your curious gaze.

"And it's not like Fujiko is here to distract him," you continue, watching the expression of the two men for any telling factors that might give you the slightest idea at what was silently being discussed between them. "She's still out of the country trying to get that rich, old guy to propose to her, right?"

You wait for either of them to confirm your question, but when they break eye contact, their attention turns to their respective (and re-filled) drinks.

"You don't think Lupin took off without us to bother Fujiko, do you?" you ask, a heavy feeling in your stomach at the idea of Lupin leaving you behind. It wasn't that you were jealous of his Fujiko's relationship, but you didn't like the idea of being left out of any heists. What if he realized he didn't need you anymore?

Your biggest fear reels its ugly head as the thought crosses your mind. You were still technically on a heist-by-heist basis. Thankfully all of Lupin's previous heists had required your help in some way or another whether it be disabling security protocols or scrambling location information on People-Log and other such sites to keep Inspector Zenigata from tracking his movements.

You weren't certain you'd be able to exist in the outside world without Lupin and co. Though you hated to admit it and never would verbally, you needed your new friends to help guide you through interactions and conversations. Having spent so much of your early life behind a screen had done too much damage to your social skills for you to be able to function on your own. It would be back to your rundown apartment in the middle of nowhere and your constant stream of deliveries to prevent you from ever stepping foot outside again.

You feel a gentle nudge at your shoulder and snap back to reality. Jigen has a very concerned look on his face and you can tell he's trying to read your expression to understand what has caused you to go quiet.

"Lupin will be here, don't worry," says Jigen, deciding that that must've been the reason you'd reeled yourself in. He was somewhat right, but it was less about Lupin not attending dinner and more about what it would mean for your current role in the team if he'd left you behind to travel somewhere else.

Before you can decide on the appropriate way to respond without giving too much away, there's a ruckus near the tables at the entrance of the club. The place is packed so at first you can't see much more than bodies sitting and standing, pressed up against one another like sardines in a can. 

The noise of the crowd had been nothing more than background to you, but now you could clearly hear someone yelling, "Excuse me! Pardon me!" as they made their way through. There was some rustling among the standing crowd and at the sound of shuffling growing louder, you realize that whoever is making their way through is heading your way. 

For a fleeting moment, you heart's in your throat. What if you hadn't done a good enough job at scrambling the tracking data and Zenigata had found your location? Surely, as soon as he heard word from either Jigen or Goemon, Lupin would terminate your partnership right then and there, wouldn't he?

But it's not Zenigata that pops into view, but instead Fujiko dressed in a short, shimmering dress. Her dark hair is hidden by a blonde wig, but after a year of working together you can easily pick out her face in the crowd.

"Surprise!" she says with a smile as she wraps her arms around you. You're so confused by her sudden appearance that you can't help but sit there, arms stiff at your sides. 

"B-But what about the old man?" you stutter unsure of how to process the whole situation. Having known Fujiko for a while you knew how serious she took her long-cons, especially when there was jewelry and gems at the end of the process. Surely she wouldn't risk blowing her cover to fly out for one night of dinner and dancing?

"That was just a little white lie to throw you off." Fujiko gives you a flirty wink. "You know I like to make a big entrance to important events."

_Important events?_

Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Jigen is smirking at your visible confusion. 

"And that's not all," continues Fujiko, ignoring your slack-jawed expression. She throws an arm back toward the crowd as if she were presenting a fabulous prize on a gameshow. Seeing that as his cue, Lupin pushes his way into your line-of-sight and greets you with a question, "Are you surprised?" He's grinning, his expression absolutely elated.

"Huh?" 

They share a laugh. 

"Alright you two, stop teasing her." Says Jigen, his tone almost paternal as he chides them. "You're late as it is. Now show her the damn cake, Lupin!" Though his choice of adjectives is harsh, Jigen's tone lightens as he nods toward the small white box in Lupin's hands.

You'd been so caught-off guard by both Fujiko and Lupin's entrances that you hadn't even noticed the latter was carrying anything. With a gentle smile, Lupin leans down and opens the box so you can see the contents from your seat.

"We got this just for you," he says softly, almost fondly. You gasp as you look down into the box. The cake is small, circular, and covered in a heavenly-smelling white frosting. The edges of the cake have been decorated with intricately piped, fondant roses and vines made from green icing. The roses look so real you almost can't believe they're edible. In the middle of the cake, written in pretty blue icing, are the words "Thank You, Y/N!" Beneath the letters, the insignia on Lupin's calling cards has been drawn in red. 

"Do you like it?" Fujiko asks.

You barely hear her, unable to tear your attention from the cake. Your throat feels tight as if you've just ingested an allergen. The cake is beautiful and no doubt expensive knowing the French bakeries Lupin frequented when in the area. Even something so small could cost upwards three digits. Your eyes begin to water but it's not at the gesture as your teammates may think, but instead at the message.

_Thank you, Y/N!_

Wasn't that a common message to write on a retirement cake? Was this Lupin's friendly way of saying you were dismissed? You remembered the look Jigen and Goemon had shared when you'd asked where Lupin had scurried off to. Instead of responding, you bite your lip to keep yourself from bawling. 

Why had he chosen roses? You'd never told him your favorite flower. He'd never even asked.

Roses were a sign of finality.

They were given to an actor for their final performance. They were laid to rest on a coffin by loved ones before it was lowered into the ground. They were a sign that something or someone was ending. A physical embodiment of the word goodbye.

_And a sign of romance,_ a small voice in the back of your head offers, but you quickly push it away. You know better than to get your hopes up. Lupin was known to make grand gestures when it came to love, but you know you would never be the focus of his affections. That spot was reserved specifically for Fujiko. In your short time together, you'd seen him drop several gorgeous women when the opportunity to flirt with Fujiko arose.

"Y/N?" 

Finally feeling control of your body return, you swipe at your eyes with balled fists and take a deep breath hoping to keep your voice from sounding too hoarse.

"It's beautiful. The perfect send-off. Thank you." It takes everything in you to keep your voice level.

Lupin cocks his head at your response, his look of confusion mirrored by Fujiko. From behind you, you can hear a murmur of discussion pass between Jigen and Goemon. 

"What do you mean?" asks Lupin. "Where are you going?"

You match his gaze, searching his face for any sign that he is playing you for a sucker. Surely this was his way of saying your contract was finished, right?

"Don't play with me, Lupin."

"You're making no sense, Y/N. What's the glare for? This is supposed to be a happy occasion."

You shake your head, trying to clear your brain of the many different thoughts clouding your judgement. You're apprehensive, frightened to get your hopes up too high incase they're about to be dashed.

"You're serious?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Do you even know what day it is, Y/N?" asks Fujiko. 

"Um, Tuesday?"

Your uncertain response seems to lighten the tension. Both Fujiko and Jigen laugh. Though you can't seem him from your current position, you're certain Goemon is smirking at your obliviousness. 

Lupin gives a big, dramatic sigh and places the cake on the table in front of you. "Today marks exactly one year since you joined the crew," he states as if it were a common fact found in any old textbook. "And, it's also the day where _you_ become a permanent member of the team."

_Wait - what did he say?_

You jump from your seat and grab either side of his jacket, pulling him close so that you can better inspect his face. "No joke?"

This makes him laugh. "So that explains your sour look. Yes, of course! I wouldn't be asking if I didn't mean it."

You release your hold on him and glance around the table at the faces of your friends for any hint of rejection, but they're all offering you soft smiles of acceptance.

"Really?" you ask once more. "You're all okay with this?"

"If I hadn't agreed to it, you wouldn't have gotten such a nice cake," responds Fujiko. 

"Y/N!" says Lupin. "Come on now, don't make me beg." Despite saying this he gets to his knees and grabs your ankles with a cheeky grin. Then giving a heaving sigh fit for a Shakespearean performance, he faux sobs, "Please Y/N! We need you. _I_ need you." You notice his dramatic action has drawn curious stares from the crowd and you quickly shake off his grip.

"Yes," you say. "I would be honored. Now please get up."

Lupin stands and you can't help but wrap your arms around him in a hug, ecstatic. He catches you before you can push him over and chuckles. 

From the table, Jigen clears his throat and says, "Hey can we cut into that cake then? It's been like an hour and half and we've been surviving off appetizers over here. I'm starving." You release Lupin and nod. He and Fujiko pull up chairs to your table.

"I've cleaned my sword just for this," remarks Goemon as he removes the weapon from its holder. "Now everyone stand back." You all lean back in your seats and before you can even comment, Goemon had split the cake into several pieces. Jigen and Fujiko offer him a short round of applause.

While they're doing that Lupin slips the largest slice onto a plate and hands it to you. He gives you a wink, "Happy to have you onboard for the long-run, partner."

You smile. "Thank you, Lupin."


	2. Downtime I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part one of two of Reader's adventure in NYC with the gang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally gonna be a chapter full of four drabbles with each character, but I got carried away with Fujiko's part so I've decided I'm just gonna split this in two parts (the second will be Lupin) and do Jigen and Goemon's in a different setting later on.

The hotel Lupin had selected was nothing short of extravagant, but that was nothing new. Despite being a wanted criminal, he wasn't a subtle man and preferred to flaunt his wealth. If it was anyone else it would've come off as obnoxious and entitled, but Lupin was a generous man and always made sure that his team was also comfortable so you couldn't complain much. 

For your stay in New York City, Lupin had selected a suite with three bedrooms (with personal bathrooms), a small kitchenette, and a living room. Lupin had offered to share his room with Fujiko, but she'd asked you to be her partner, leaving Lupin and Goemon in the other two and Jigen on the couch. It had been a little unnerving to sleep next to Fujiko at first because your relationship was difficult to understand.

You never seemed to know where you stood with her. 

Sometimes it felt as though she hated you (though this was usually when Lupin was play-flirting with you), but at other times it was like you were childhood best friends, with her asking your opinion on her clothing choices and offering you sips of her cocktails at dinner. Some nights she even curled up against you in bed, using you as a little spoon. 

All this to say, she kept you on your toes for sure.

Early one weekday morning, shortly after first arriving in New York, you found yourself gazing out the large window watching the people moving about below. Though it was December the weather was oddly warm and the sun was shining brightly, reflecting off the many metal buildings in the city. You were desperate to go and explore but were too nervous to go by yourself. You've seen plenty of movies that took place in the city and most of them had scenes where someone was badly injured in a New York alleyway. 

"Y/N?"

You turn your head at the sound of your name to find Fujiko sitting on the couch behind you. You hadn't even heard her open the bedroom door. 

"Is everyone else still asleep?" you ask.

She nods. "What do you think of my look today, Y/N?"

You take in Fujiko's outfit. She looks gorgeous as usual dressed in a long peacoat, tights, and black booties. In her lap sits a small black purse on a long silver chain.

"You look great!" Your compliment earns you a smile which causes your heart to flutter.

"Thank you. I was actually wondering if maybe you'd like to go for a walk with me? The holiday displays are out and with it being so early there shouldn't be too much of a wait."

"Holiday displays?" you ask, confused.

Fujiko smiles, "Every year, the high-end stores like Macy's and Saks create these beautiful window displays that people come from all over to see. I know it's your first time in the city and I thought maybe you'd like to come with me?"

* * *

An hour later, dressed in one of Fujiko's sweater dresses, your arm is intertwined with hers as she leads you down the street to Saks Fifth Avenue. You can't help but gasp as the store comes into view causing Fujiko to giggle at your reaction. The building is huge with several floors and many large windows. There's a small crowd gathered around the ground floor, blocking the displays. 

"Come on Y/N," says Fujiko as she pulls her arm from yours and instead grabs your hand. With ease, she shoves her way through the crowd, dragging you behind her (you can't help but mumble apologies to those she's severely elbowed). The first display is simple - a bunch of snowflakes made from doilies hang from invisible wire. Below them is a small town made out of gingerbread. You can feel your mouth water as you look at it.

"Boring," remarks Fujiko as she pulls you further along.

The second window isn't much better (in Fujiko's opinion at least) and the two of you continue on without saying much to one another. Though she doesn't seem too interested in the displays, you're enjoying yourself.

It's the second to last window that finally catches her attention. This display has a foreground made of white silk and behind that is a small castle made completely out of blinking LEDs. Resting on the silk is several different pieces of expensive jewelry. There's rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. 

"That's amazing!" you gasp as you move closer for a better look. Fujiko seems to agree as she follows closely behind you, her arms wrapped around your middle and her chin resting on your head.

"Which one do you like best?" she asks.

You gaze at the display. There are so many pretty options and they're all very bright and sparkly, but their designs are too busy for you. You prefer simpler jewelry and though the necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are gorgeous and surely very expensive. You decide on one of the rings in the far back. It's very simple if a bit bland - a simple silver band with your birthstone in the middle. 

"A little boring for my tastes," says Fujiko, "But I know your style and I think it would look absolutely beautiful on you."

You blush, her compliment taking you by surprise. It was uncommon for Fujiko to be so open and straight-forward with you, especially when Lupin wasn't around to keep her in line.

"Really? You mean that?" you ask, turning to face her. You watch her face for any sign that she was kidding or that the compliment may have been backhanded, but the smile she gives you in return is earnest and kind. 

"Yes, of course I do." She spins you around and points at the display. "Now pick one out for me. Let's see how well you know me," she adds in a teasing tone.

Wanting to impress her, you scan the remaining options knowing the bigger and brighter the more Fujiko would like it. In the center of the display there is a gorgeously intricate necklace. 

The chain is made up of small golden branches complete with twigs with shimmering leaves. In the center is a large ruby set in gold. You point it out to Fujiko and she squeezes your arms in approval. 

"Exactly, just what I was thinking."

"So I've passed?"

"With flying colors," she replies, releasing her grip on you. She grabs her purse and digs through it, pulling out her wallet. She looks through her loose cash and picks out a credit card, seeming to toy with the idea of purchasing the jewelry you'd selected. Then with a mischievous grin, she returns the cash and card to their pockets and places her wallet back in her purse. "What am I doing?" she laughs. "We'll just have to ask Lupin to fetch them for us."

"Do you think he'd really do that?'

"Oh I'm certain," says Fujiko with a wink. She takes your hand in hers and leads you away from the display and off to your next destination. 


	3. Downtime II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second half of Downtime. This chapter focuses on you spending time with Lupin.  
> I was gonna wait a few days to post it but I had too much fun writing it. I hope you enjoy!

Your birthday passed without much fanfare, but you were used to it. Not only was your birthday several days before Christmas, but you and Team Lupin were preparing for an upcoming heist at the Museum of Modern Art (otherwise known as the MoMA). Having never been to New York before you weren't familiar with the inner workings of the MoMa and knowing that it was a very well-known museum you suspected the security would be tight. Even Lupin seemed a little more on edge than normal. He could be found in the suite's shared living room, reviewing the museum's layout, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as if to demonstrate how deep he was in thought. In comparison to the job, your birthday felt insignificant and you didn't want to distract anyone from the impending heist.

However, you shouldn't have written Lupin off so easily.

"Hey Y/N?" asks Lupin, several days after your birthday and two days before the heist. At that moment you were sitting cross-legged on the bed you shared with Fujiko, your computer in your lap. You'd been perusing the dark web for any information regarding backdoors or weak spots in the MoMA's automated security system. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," you reply, not bothering to look up from the screen as Lupin peeks his head in and watches you work for a moment. 

"Put that down for a bit."

You glance up, confused. Wouldn't he want you to spend as much time as possible preparing? 

"Let's go out today, just you and me, ok?"

You roll your eyes and return your attention to the screen, certain he was kidding. "Why? Fujiko's blown you off again?"

"No!" retorts Lupin as he steps into your room and closes the door behind him. He leans up against it and presses a hand to his chest as if he'd just been shot. "I'm hurt, Y/N! Not everything I do is related to Fujiko. She doesn't run my life you know!"

"You sure?" You can't help but tease him. It was a rarity to embarrass Lupin. At times you thought he was completely incapable of feeling any form of shame or embarrassment. 

He puffs out his cheeks in annoyance and pushes the top of your laptop down until is closes with a soft click.

"Hey!"

"Come on, I tried to be nice. You don't have a choice now."

You sigh. You suppose it would be good for you to go outside for a bit. You'd been holed up in the hotel room for a while now. The last time you'd spent some time outside had been the day Fujiko had taken you to look at the holiday displays. 

"I guess I can spare some time for you," you say, though the idea of being alone with Lupin gives you butterflies in your stomach. "Where are we going?"

Lupin's expression brightens as he breaks out into a wide smile. "Oh that's for me to know and you to find out, dear Y/N!" He pats you on the head and stands, "I'll see you in the lobby in fifteen. Don't forget to dress warm!"

* * *

Rockefeller Center looked exactly as it did online, however the giant tree in the center was much more magnificent in person. The area was quite crowded, filled to the brim with tourists attempting to get the perfect shot of themselves in front of the massive Christmas tree.

"Whoa," you can't help but say as you stare up at the tree, mouth agape. Beside you, hands in his pockets, Lupin stops and watches you fondly, but you're too distracted by the scene before you to notice. 

"Want to go take a picture with me, Y/N?" asks Lupin, pulling his phone from his pocket. He waves it in front of you like it's a treat for a puppy. At any other time you would've found this slightly demeaning but you're too excited to comment on it and nod.

He grabs your hand and leads you to the front and for a bit you take turns taking shots of one another on each other's phones. Lupin even persuades an older couple to take a few of you two together. He offers you his shoulders and you climb up onto him and throw your arms up into the air, a giant smile on your face.

* * *

"And that's not all," says Lupin about an hour later once you've both tired of taking photos. "I have another surprise for you. A special reservation."

"At a restaurant?" you ask, wondering what kind of complicated food Lupin would try to convince you to eat today. You visibly shudder at the thought of the escargot he'd tricked you into trying back in Paris.

Lupin shakes his head. "Nope, down there!" 

He points below you to a large ice rink. You recognize it from the many Hallmark holiday movies you've watched that have taken place in New York City. You feel your heart sink as you take in all the people holding hands and doing tricks on the ice. 

Having spent so much of your life cooped up in your apartment, you'd never been ice skating before. It wasn't as if you had many friends prior to meeting Lupin and the gang. Anyone that wasn't family you'd only interacted with online. 

You understood how to ice skate from a logical perspective, but the idea of actually getting on the ice was terrifying. It looked tricky and dangerous and you would've preferred to watch clips online rather than try it out yourself. 

But you couldn't tell Lupin that. He seemed so excited to skate with you and had already spent a decent amount of money reserving two spots to skate on the rink so close to Christmas.

"Alright," you say, trying your best to keep your tone of voice from giving you away. "Let's go!"

"That's the spirit!" replies Lupin with a grin as he grabs your hand and guides you down to the rink.

* * *

You take a seat on the bench as Lupin scurries off to retrieve the ice skates he'd stored in a locker the previous day. You're doing your best to appear calm and collected, but your very aware of the way your heart is hammering in your chest. _What if I fall?_ You can't help but wonder. _What if Lupin laughs at me?_

"You ready, Y/N?" asks Lupin, appearing behind you out of what feels like thin air. You practically jump out of your skin at the sound of his voice but instead keep yourself grounded by gripping the seat of the bench. _  
_

"Yep, sure am." Lupin places one pair of skates next to you on the bench and gets to his knees with the other pair. You feel a blush creep up the back of your neck as he pulls your right boot from your foot.

"Oh uh," you stutter, wanting to say that you could do it yourself, but also knowing that with no previous experience you would have no idea what you were doing. 

"I'm already down here," replies Lupin with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it." He pulls off your other boot and stops, looking down at your feet. You can feel your face get hot as takes in your socks and smiles to himself.

"Don't laugh!" you warn, but that just makes the thief’s smile widen. You have mismatched socks. One is pink and the other is a light blue. The pick sock is decorated with daisies and the blue sock has different types of sushi. You've always had a soft spot for fun socks.

"You probably should've worn thicker socks."

"I d-didn't think I'd be taking my shoes off," you stutter, embarrassed. _Shit! He probably thinks I'm so immature. Why'd I have to wear them today?_

Lupin shrugs it off as if it were no big deal, but his expression clearly contradicts this motion. He lives to tease you and he's clearly enjoying how easy it is to make you blush. "It's my fault," he says, "I should've told you. Worse comes to worse, I've got some bandaids in my pocket if you get any blisters. And besides ..." He trails off for a moment and glances up to meet your gaze. "I can always carry you back to the hotel as a last resort." He gives you a flirty wink.

If this were a cartoon, you were certain steam would be pouring out your ears. "Lupin!" You hiss through clenched teeth, your face so warm it feels as if it's on fire. You make a move to slap his shoulder, but the coat you're wearing is too puffy and it's hard to move your arms. Your fingertips weakly tap him, completely defeating the purpose altogether. 

He doesn't comment on your failure and instead focuses on double-knotting your laces. "Gotta make sure you tie them tight. These are a little big, we're borrowing them from Fujiko, but they should work for today."

"Did you ask Fujiko beforehand or did you just take them?"

He ignores you and continues, "If you have fun, I'll get you a really nice pair for Christmas."

Taken aback by his generous suggestion, you nibble your lip, suddenly feeling very timid, and reply, "You don't have to do that. I'm sure it would be too expensive." 

He looks up at you and smiles, "Y/N, if that would make you happy, I'd be honored to do it."

You turn your head unable to meet his eyes. He chuckles softly to himself and finishes up your other skate. 

Once you're set, he trades in his loafers for the other pair and stands, not bothering to grab the railing to keep himself upright. You can feel yourself beginning to panic again and it must've been visible in your expression, because Lupin's gaze softens and he offers you his hand. You let him pull you into a standing position and carefully lead you out onto the ice. 

"Careful, Y/N, we'll go slow at first," he says as you feel your skates slip out from underneath you the moment you place them on the ice. You release his hand and grab for the lapel of his navy jacket, hoping to keep yourself from falling on your ass. 

"Don't worry, Y/N. I've got you." He grabs you by the arm with one hand and gently pries your fingers from his lapel. Once free, he spins you around and has you lean against him. 

"Lupin!" You squeak, terrified to take another step for fear of planting face first one the ice.

"It's ok, it's ok," says Lupin, his voice soothing and calm. He grabs you from behind by your upper arms and pushes your forward. "I won't let go until you're comfortable."

"Promise?"

"I promise!"

Together you do a lap of the rink. You lean into Lupin's hold and allow him to push you around the ice like one would push the back of a truck with its back tires stuck in a ditch. 

"Hold on," says Lupin, "I think someone just messaged me, it might be important. I'm gonna let go just for a second, ok?"

It's certainly _not_ okay as far as you're concerned, but not wanting to come off as a wimp, you stutter out, "S-Sure."

He releases you for a moment, pushing you forward. For a few moments, you're skating on your own, kinda. The momentum from his push sends you forward, but unfortunately Lupin had underestimated his strength. He'd only meant to push you a little ahead while he fished his phone out of his jacket's pocket, but you go careening off, unable to stop yourself. You reach out for the railing, hoping to keep yourself from falling, but you're unable to grab it. At the whim of Fujiko's skates, you slam into the other end of the rink with a grunt. Several nearby skaters cringe in sympathy as you stumble to the ground. 

"Y/N?" Lupin's tone is worried. He easily skates over to you and tries to pull you up by your armpits. You feel a sudden urge to cry, worried you've embarrassed him.

"I'm sorry, Lupin. I couldn't stop. I feel so stupid."

"Hey, hey," replies Lupin softly. He pushes you back against the railing, allowing you to grip it from behind to keep yourself standing. Once certain you have a solid grip, he replies, "It's ok, Y/N. I'm guessing you don't have a lot of experience on the ice?"

You shake your head with a frown.

"Well, that's ok, I'm here to help you."

"I feel like I'm just wasting your time," you murmur, your gaze focused downward toward the ice. "I'm sure Fujiko's an amazing skater."

Lupin cocks his head, eyebrows knit together. "Is that what this is about? Y/N, I told you I want to spend the day with _you_ , not Fujiko."

"But how can you even enjoy yourself?" you ask. "You're too busy having to watch out for me."

He lifts your chin so your eyes meet. "I'm having plenty of fun with you, Y/N. But more importantly, are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Having fun?"

You take a moment to reply. Despite how nervous you'd been, you'd enjoyed your day with Lupin. It had been fun to sit on his shoulders and take all those photos together. You'd even enjoyed skating with him when he held you close and guided you around the rink.

"Yes, I am."

"Good," he says, releasing his hold on your chin and offering you his hand again. "We still have a little time left. Do you want to try again or would you rather head back to the hotel and get ready for dinner?"

"I want to try again." You take his hand and let him slowly pull you away from the railing.

"That's my girl," he says playfully, lightly dragging you behind him as you do a few more laps around the rink. 

* * *

"So, where are we going for dinner?" You ask a half hour later. Your reservation is up and Lupin is helping you remove your skates. You're exhausted from standing so rigid while Lupin pushed you around the ice.

"Well that would be up to you," replies Lupin, pulling a few loose bandaids from his pocket. He slips off your socks and inspects your feet for blisters. There are a couple. "Man, you've got some bad blisters. We're gonna have to toughen you up before we go skating again."

"Up to me?" You ask, choosing to ignore his banter. "Why would it be up to me? I don't know anything about the restaurants around here. I barely know how to get back to the hotel."

"Well it's your night," says Lupin as he finishes bandaging up your feet. He slips your socks back on and then your boots. He hands you your skates to carry and quickly changes out of his own skates and back into his loafers. "The birthday girl always gets to pick."

You laugh both delighted that he was aware it was your birthday month, but also out of confusion for how he came to know. It wasn't as if you had such sensitive information listed in your original advertisement on the dark web and you couldn't remember ever discussing your birthdate or your age with Lupin in the past. "How did you know that?" Perhaps Jigen told him? You remembered telling him you were in your early twenties over drinks one night when you'd first met.

"Emmy told me," Lupin replied simply. He gave a little shrug of his shoulders and added, "I wish you'd told me sooner. You've seen the kinds of parties I throw for my friends. If I'd had more warning, I could've planned something much more elaborate, but I figured skating and a nice dinner out would be good enough this year. We'll do something much bigger next year." You're surprised by how he says this so nonchalantly, but you suppose you shouldn't be all that shocked. You'd spoken with Ami Enan several times over messenger. She'd acted as HR between you and Lupin prior to your initial face-to-face meeting with the thief. Though Lupin didn't talk much about her, Jigen and Fujiko would bring her up every so often and comment on the wild experiences they'd shared together several years earlier. From what you'd gathered and what you knew of Underworld from the dark web, she was a very talented hacker.

It was a little disheartening to hear your teammates speak so fondly of her and her achievements. You knew that the only reason you'd come in contact with Lupin was because Ami was at university. Would he replace you as soon as Ami had her degree?

You stuff that fear into the back of your mind, deciding it would be better to dwell on that worry another day. You didn't want to ruin what had been a fun day and was sure to be an enjoyable night.

"I'd really like some sushi," you suggest to Lupin as you stand to leave with him.

Lupin shakes his head and make a small noise of annoyance. "Literally anything, no monetary limit and you choose sushi? No wonder Goemon favors you."

You grin, knowing he's just teasing you. Once you’re back out on the sidewalk, you stop and Lupin turns, confused as to what has caught your attention.

You remove your hand from his hold and instead pull him into a side-hug.

"What's this for?" asks Lupin, caught off guard by your public display of affection. Usually you were too nervous to even hold his hand on a busy street.

You pull away, "I just wanted to thank you for a fun afternoon."

"Aw," he says softly as he pulls you into a full embrace. "You're pretty cute, you know that?" He places a soft kiss on your temple. You're sure passerby are watching especially since the two of you are huddled together in the middle of the sidewalk but for once you don't care what they think.

Lupin's embrace is warm and comforting. His cologne smells woodsy and his hold makes you feel safe. Lupin may have wanted to celebrate your birthday on a much bigger scale, but in your opinion you couldn't have asked for anything better. 


	4. Lightweight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Jigen and Goemon chapter? And a change of POV? 
> 
> Note this chapter deals with drinking and passing out. Just want to gives a heads up.  
> Personally, I don't see Y/N having the same relationship and/or perspective of Jigen and Goemon as she does with Lupin and Fujiko. Her relationship with the former is more platonic where as the latter is a one-sided crush.

**Your POV**

Ibiza, Spain was known for its party culture and Lupin the III was quite the party animal.

You had thought you would spend most of your short break in Ibiza drinking and dancing with the thief, but shortly after arriving Lupin had ditched you, Jigen, and Goemon for some college-aged tourists staying in the same hotel. You'd been a little bothered by this at first and for a moment wondered if you'd made the wrong decision by going to Ibiza with the boys instead of joining Fujiko in the Bahamas. 

You'd been surprised that Lupin had chosen a different location than his love interest, but supposedly they were on a 'break' as well, according to Jigen. Not wanting to get involved with the drama as you were friends with both parties, you'd decided it was probably best to keep yourself in the dark. You'd thought Lupin would be moping the whole time as it was most likely Fujiko that had suggested the 'break' but the womanizer recovered quickly and was down to shoot his shot with whomever he made eye contact with the moment your group stepped off the plane.

Jigen and Goemon had watched Lupin scamper off without a word, both unsurprised and unbothered by his actions.

"Should we go after him?" you'd asked. 

In response, they'd shared a look of annoyance above your head. Jigen had sighed loudly and replied, "Trust us. It's not worth it."

They'd known Lupin for so long, you'd decided to take their word for it.

* * *

That night, after checking in and taking a nice long nap in your shared suite, Jigen had suggested the three of you go out for dinner. Though he wasn't great with computers, the sharpshooter had done some research on the plane and mapped out several restaurants in the area that allowed smoking.

Lupin still had yet to return, but neither man seemed worried about it so you decided it was probably best not to voice your concern. 

"Sounds good," you reply, choosing to dress up for your first night out. You select a short, spaghetti-strapped dress. It was a loaner from Fujiko and a little big on you but you loved how the dark, satin fabric shimmered under the lights. Not wanting to look too overdressed you forego makeup and tie your hair-up into a messy bun. It was a nice medium between lazy and try-hard. 

When you return to the connected living area of your suite, Jigen lets out a whistle.

"You like it?" you ask, "You don't think it's too much?"

"You look great, Y/N," replies Goemon. Neither man was dressed any differently than their usual, but you didn't mind. You dressed for your own enjoyment, though this didn't mean you didn't appreciate compliments from your friends.

"Shall we?" asks Jigen, offering you his arm. 

"We shall," you say with a giggle as you intertwine your arm with his. You turn and offer Goemon your free hand, which he takes with a smirk. With you in-between them, the three of you make your way out of the hotel and off to the luxury restaurant Jigen has selected. 

* * *

You always felt so calm and relaxed when it was just you, Jigen, and Goemon. Both Fujiko and Lupin were quick to tease you and you found yourself blushing hard whenever they were next to you. Jigen and Goemon were different. They felt safe and comforting, like older brothers or trusted uncles. You felt as though you didn't have to try so hard to impress them as you did with Lupin and Fujiko. You valued their friendship and you knew the feeling was mutual. Lupin had loyal friends and that loyalty extended to you as long as you returned it. 

The restaurant was packed but Jigen had called ahead and reserved a small table in the back, close to the wall, just as you liked it. You knew Goemon preferred more private settings as well and you appreciated that Jigen had taken that into account. Usually when Lupin was in charge he chose something in the middle so that he could ogle the female patrons out on the dance floor. 

"This is nice," you say as Goemon pulls out your chair for you. The two men settle on either side of you, like bodyguards. You can't help but wonder if they were doing this of their own violation or if Lupin had asked them to (he was weirdly protective of you and liked to keep you in the center of the group if possible). You glance at the drink list as Jigen waves over a waitress. There are so many different types of drinks with names you know you'll struggle to pronounce. Not wanting to look foolish, you suggest that Jigen and Goemon order first to give you a moment to sound out your selection in your head.

Usually, you tried to save the alcohol for the after-heist dinner as too much would leave you unable to perform your hacker duties. But seeing as the group was on break, you figured it was fair game for you to be a little daring with your order.

"So, can I start you all with some drinks?" asks your waitress. She's a small piete thing with a name tag that reads Roxanne. You knew if Lupin had been present he would've been a blathering mess as she was quite pretty. You felt your cheeks heat up as she hands you a dinner menu with a smile.

Jigen and Goemon order their drinks with ease. Unable to figure out the proper pronunciation of your chosen complicated cocktail, you decide the least embarrassing option is to point it out on the menu to her. "Um, this one please."

"Oh, good choice!" replies Roxanne as she writes it down on her small pad of paper. "I'll be right back."

Jigen peeks over your shoulder to see what you've chosen and gives a small chuckle. "Make sure to go slow with that one, Y/N or we'll have to call a cab."

* * *

An hour and several cocktails later, your brain is in a fog. Jigen has moved himself closer to you in order to keep you in your seat and your head is resting on his shoulder, struggling to keep your eyes open. He has an arm wrapped around your back protectively. Though you don't drink much on a regular basis, this wasn't his first interaction with drunk!you - like most, the drunker you were the more impulsive your decisions and many of those decisions in the past had let to you spending the night with less than desirable partners much to Lupin's chagrin.

But Lupin wasn't present tonight and you were feeling impulsive.

"Just ... one more ...," you playfully beg as you dangle your empty glass in front of you. You shake the glass to rattle the half-melted ice as if hoping it would summon the bartender.

"I think you've had enough," replies Jigen with a soft chuckle. His cheeks are flushed from drinking a little too much, but he's nowhere near your level of drunkness. If you were to guess, you would think he purposely tried to keep himself at least somewhat sober incase he needed to drag you back to the hotel.

You pull away from his hold to meet his gaze and frown. You widen your eyes in hopes of making yourself look a little less drunk but this does little to help your case. He just laughs harder.

"Sorry, sweetheart. The puppy-dog eyes aren't going to work tonight."

"I think it would be wise if we all slowed down," comments Goemon from the other side of the table. He's trying to appear as sober as possible, perhaps to set an example for you - the newest and youngest member of the group - but is doing a horrible job. Swaying back and forth in his seat, he refuses to meet either your or Jigen's gaze, his usually pale skin a bright red.

"And I thought you guys were fun," you whine. "Seems it's only a party when Lupin is around."

"It's funny how much better we all are at decision-making when Lupin is absent," retorts Goemon. "Well, except for you, Y/N."

You stick your tongue out at him in response. 

Jigen signals to Roxanne to bring the check and you slam your glass down in protest at the thought of leaving without another drink. Thankfully it doesn't shatter and the restaurant is much too loud with music and chatter for anyone to have heard you.

"That's enough out of you, Y/N. Time for bed," says Jigen as he helps you to your feet. He nods to Goemon who offers Roxanne one of Lupin's credit cards and tells her to tip herself whatever she wants. 

The moment you're on your feet everything begins to spin. You feel your knees buckle beneath you and it's up to Jigen to catch you, which he does easily as if you weigh nothing more than a small sack of potatoes. 

"You might have to carry her," warns Goemon. Roxanne returns the card to him and waves the three of you off as you make your way toward the exit. Your walking order is almost comical with Goemon in front, you in the middle, and Jigen right behind you, keeping you upright as well as gently pushing you towards the door. 

Once outside, Goemon and Jigen discuss a game plan. It would take forever for Jigen to use the same tactics he had inside to get you home. The streets were crowded with tourists and locals in varying degrees of drunkenness. It wouldn't be a straight shot as it had been inside and would be much more difficult to navigate you in your current state. 

"I guess you're right," says Jigen with a sigh. Having been distracted by the soothing feeling of cool air on your flushed cheeks, you hadn't heard a word the two had said to one another. Jigen passes you to Goemon who holds you upright by placing his hands on your waist. 

"Hey! Watch those hands, Goemon! Are you trying to get with me?" you ask. He adjusts his grip so it's a little higher but other than that he ignores you. Jigen shakes off his jacket and hands it to Goemon to wrap around your shoulders. "Here, it's gotten cold, she'll freeze in just that."

As Goemon helps you slip the garment around your shoulders, the gunman stretches his arms above his head and cracks his back.

"I'm getting too old for this," he says. Before you can ask him to clarify, he turns and squats in front of you. "Get on, Y/N."

"Oooh, kinky," you slur which earns you a small laugh from Goemon. You climb onto Jigen's back and wrap your arms around his neck. Once Goemon has confirmed your hold is secure, Jigen slowly stands and slips his hands back behind your knees. "Let's go, boys!"

Goemon walks beside you both with one arm slightly extended behind you in case your hold loosens. Your piggyback ride earns you a few grins and giggles from the other people out on the street, but you don't mind the attention. In your drunken state they're all just new friends you haven't met yet and you offer them greetings and compliments from your place on Jigen's back. 

"Drunk Y/N is a lot more sociable than regular Y/N," Goemon remarks.

"Yeah, yeah," says Jigen, "She's lucky she's cute, you know. I wouldn't do this for just anyone."

"You've carried Lupin before, haven't you?"

"Shut up, Goemon."

* * *

**Lupin's POV**

Lupin's surprised to find the suite empty when he returns. He's a little hurt that none of his friends had thought to wait for him before going out to dinner, but he supposes it's only fair. It's not like he'd given them any idea when he would be back.

Changing out of his day clothes into something more comfortable, he orders room service for himself and settles down in front of the television with a movie. About halfway through the film, he hears voices just outside the suite's door. As his friends enter, he can't help but laugh. 

"Fun night?" Lupin asks. Both Jigen and Goemon look absolutely exhausted. On Goemon's back, Y/N is out-cold, her arms laying limply at her sides. Jigen is holding a pair of black pumps by their straps.

"I don't think those are your size," jokes Lupin, as he motions toward them.

"It was going well until the walk home," says Jigen, choosing to ignore the thief's comment. "Thought I could make it the whole way, but I guess I'm getting weak in my old age." 

"Aw, you guys carried her the whole way? How far was dinner?"

"It didn't feel that long on the walk there," remarks Goemon. Using his foot, he pushes the door closed behind him. "Move over, Lupin. My back's killing me."

The thief slides to the far end of the couch and watches as Jigen carefully removes Y/N from Goemon's back and gently places her on the couch. 

"Wow, she's really out, huh?" says Lupin. With his hand, he gently brushes the stray hairs out of Y/N's face. Her cheeks are flushed a bright red and her pretty dress (which he recognizes as one of Fujiko's old outfits) is wrinkled from the trek. 

"You're telling us," replies Jigen, "We passed a whole bar fight and she didn't even stir."

"Well," says Lupin. "I'll take over from here. You guys need to hit the hay before you pass out where you're standing."

"You sure?"

"Of course. I'll make sure she's set and then I'll turn in myself."

Deciding they're too tired to argue, Jigen and Goemon nod and return to their respective bedrooms. Once alone, Lupin turns back to Y/N and asks aloud, "Alright, what am I gonna do with you?" Jigen had placed her on her back, so Lupin corrects the positioning, turning her to her side in case any of her dinner happened to come back up while she slept. He fetches the small trash can from his bedroom as well as the top sheet and a pillow. He places the trash can beside the couch in case she needs it and gently lifts her head to slip the pillow underneath. Next he shakes out the top sheet and tucks it around her.

Though she doesn't awaken, she seems to sense the bedding and curls up into a small ball beneath the sheet. 

Lupin smiles as he watches her shift into a more comfortable position. Once she's settled, he leans down and presses a small goodnight kiss to her cheek. Before retiring for the night, he fishes out a few Advil from his suitcase and fills a glass with tap water. On a napkin, he writes out 'Take these' in pen and places it on the coffee table beneath the glass and pills. Finally the thief flicks the light switch and plunges the room into darkness. 

"Sleep well, Y/N," he says, making sure to leave his bedroom door slightly ajar in case she needs him.


	5. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lupin is injured and Reader has a nightmare. 
> 
> Mention of blood and injury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a slut for person a comforting person b.  
> Also I've only watched Part 5, Castle of Cagliostro and a good two thirds of Part 2. In that order. Is it noticeable?

More often than not, Lupin’s heists went off without a hitch. The man always seemed to be several hundreds steps ahead of his target and was prepared for whatever scenario that could occur.

But tonight was different. 

Even with three different escape routes charted, Lupin had slipped up and almost gotten himself killed. The treasure - a beautiful vintage broach worth hundreds of thousands on the black market - had been abandoned in favor of treating Lupin’s injuries and getting the rest of the gang - Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, and yourself - out of harm's way. 

What had caused such a disastrous attempt, you may ask?

Well, the broach had been hidden away in a vault beneath the target's bed. Lupin didn’t have any history with said target (who was, of course, a billionaire), but being Lupin he liked old, expensive things and had sent his calling card which stated his intent to steal the item. The billionaire had brought in outside forces that were much more capable than anyone had assumed and Lupin had been shot in the chest.

Thankfully, the bullet had missed everything that was important and it was a simple fix, but the shock and trauma had been a little too much for everyone and the heist had concluded with the billionaire as the victor. 

You’d been worried that the billionaire would send for Inspector Zenigata or have his armed men hunt you down, but he seemed pleased with having injured Lupin and the only trouble you’d faced while attempting to escape his property had been the rain of bullets his bodyguards had shot down from his balcony as the five of you piled into Lupin’s car and sped off to your current hideout. 

* * *

Upon regrouping at the motel, Jigen makes quick work of removing the bullet from Lupin and bandaging up his torso. Despite having just been shot, Lupin is his usual animated self, pacing back and forth in just his pants with his hand held up to his chin in thought.

On the couch, you, Goemon, and Fujiko are sitting nestled together, watching your boss move back and forth while Jigen stands by, arms crossed, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Lupin, would you just settle down for a moment,” grumbles Jigen as he pulls a cigarette from his pocket and lights it. “We’ll get the stupid broach tomorrow, for now you should be resting or your stitches will come undone.”

“Jigen’s right,” adds Goemon, ignoring the way Fujiko is looking at him. Her arms are crossed and her lips are pursed, clearly irritated by the group’s failure and frustrated that a second attempt would not be occurring right away. “A good night’s rest will benefit us all.”

“This sucks,” says Fujiko with a loud _hmph_ , “Lupin, you said this would be quick and easy and you got shot instead! You must be losing your touch.”

Lupin pauses in response to Fujiko’s insult and furrows his brows. “I’m not losing anything! I just underestimated that old geezer, usually these billionaires only have like three guards and Pops. This man's on a whole other level!”

“Of course, you have an excuse for everything!” replies Fujiko with a scoff as she glances at her watch. “I should be on my way to the airport with that broach in my bag, but now we’re gonna have to stay in this shitty little town a little longer and create a whole new plan!”

“Why would the broach be in _your_ bag?” asks Jigen. He eyes Lupin as he says this and Lupin’s expression grows sheepish in response. “What did Lupin promise you, Fujiko? _I_ was told we'd sell it and split the cash.”

You’re too tired to get involved in such a stupid fight. Seeing Lupin be shot had been too much for you and you can feel the exhaustion setting in. You do your best to stifle a yawn and settle back into the couch. From his place between you and Fujiko, Goemon casts you a glance with a lifted brow. Though he says nothing you know he is asking if you’re alright.

You wave your hand at him dismissively and mouth ‘I’m fine.’ He nods, though you can tell he doesn’t really believe you and turns his attention back to the argument. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going to bed,” he says as he stands and stretches his arms above his head.

“Me too,” you say softly, feeling yourself sway a little as you get to your feet. Your eyelids flutter as your struggle to keep yourself upright. Any and all adrenaline that had entered your body whilst in the mansion has completely evaporated and you know that if you don’t get yourself into bed soon, you’re gonna end up out cold on the crusty motel carpet.

You must’ve been more noticeably exhausted than you thought, because at the sound of your voice Jigen, Fujiko, and Lupin all turn their attention to you, their faces and tones visibly softening. 

“You need a little help there, Y/N?” asks Jigen as he reaches out to offer you his arm. Fujiko stands before you can answer and pushes him away, instead intertwining your arm with her own.

“I’ve got her,” she says. “We’re sharing a bed anyway so I might as well go to sleep too.”

“There’s only three beds and Jigen’s already said he’d sleep on the couch,” retorts Lupin. “Y/N’s exhausted, she needs peace and quiet. Let her go to sleep and you and I can plan for tomorrow in my room.” 

Fujiko shakes her head, “I don’t think so. I knew you’d pull this stunt again, so I reserved my own room with a king-sized bed for Y/N and I to enjoy.”

“They got a king’s size in this rinky dink motel? They told me all they got were some twins and a few full size.”

“Well, they don't have many and they don’t give them up easily, but I have my ways.” She gives the thief a flirty wink. “In fact, the room we’ll be staying in is considered a ‘honeymoon suite.’” With that as her farewell, Fujiko drags you out of the room and into the hallway, leaving a slack-jawed Lupin and a chuckling Jigen behind her. 

* * *

While Fujiko rifles through her bag seeking her favorite slip, you try to quickly wash away any dirt and blood from your body in the attached shower. Once you feel clean enough, the two of you trade off and you change into your pajamas and crawl into bed. Fujiko joins you shortly after, flipping off the room's light switch and the lamps on the bedside tables. 

“Goodnight my sweet, Y/N,” singsongs Fujiko. You smile softly to yourself and bid her goodnight as well. After the excitement of the heist, it doesn’t take you long to fall asleep.

* * *

_Wherever you are, it’s dark. You can sense walls, but you cannot see them. You try to call out to your friends but you’re unable to make a sound._

_Isolation, what had once been your daily life, now terrifies you. And the all consuming darkness makes your skin crawl. You sit down and wrap your arms around your knees, biting your lip so hard, you taste blood. You want to squeeze your eyes shut, hoping that when you open them, there will be light, but there’s no point. You blink and still there’s nothing but darkness._

_Is time passing? You can’t tell. It feels like you’ve been sitting still in the dark for weeks, months! And then you hear it - a soft cry for help and the voice is familiar._

_“Y/N! Y/N, please!”_

_You stand and look around, but see nothing. You try again to call out, but once again there’s no sound. Fumbling around in the dark you slam into wall after wall until you feel yourself falling through a doorway you cannot see._

_And then there’s light, a dim light that flutters with static. The light is coming from a small television in the center of the new room you’ve fallen into. You lean in, trying to make out the picture. The screen is in black and white._

_Your throat catches as the static clears and you can make out what is being shown._

_It’s Lupin and he’s on his back surrounded by a pool of blood that seems to be coming from a giant, gushing wound on his chest. But that’s not all - there’s a small trail of blood seeping down from his mouth. His eyes are half-lidded. His weak voice is now nothing more than a whimper as he says, “Y/N, please. Help me.”_

_“Lupin!” Suddenly able to find your voice, you grip either side of the screen and shake it, hoping that somehow he’ll hear you. “Lupin, where are you? Lupin, I’m right here!”_

_But it does nothing. Slowly the screen begins to fade out and just before the picture disappears completely and you are left in complete darkness once again, you see Lupin’s eyes close and the fluttering of his chest comes to a final stop._

* * *

You wake up screaming. 

There’s no specific word on your lips, just a loud, shrieking sound blaring from deep within you. You feel a heavy grip on either side of you, hands holding you down by the upper arms. Someone’s calling out to you, but you’re having trouble making sense of who or what it is because the lights are still out and the bedroom is still dark. 

Finally someone flicks on the lights and you see that it’s Fujiko above you, a look of pure terror on her face as she screams, “Y/N! I’m right here! What’s wrong?”

Seeing Fujiko’s concerned face catches you by surprise. You choke and then cough, turning on your side, struggling to catch a breath.

“Hey! Hey! Calm down!” says another voice from your blindspot. “Take a deep, slow breath.” You feel a strong, heavy hand gently run soothing circles on your back as you try to catch your breath.

Fujiko seems just as caught off guard by this second voice as you. “Lupin? What are you doing here? I locked that door!”

“I heard Y/N screaming from the hallway.”

“That doesn’t explain how you got in here.”

“I picked the lock,” Lupin replies, his tone suggesting that he believes this should be obvious. “You’re welcome for turning on the light, by the way.”

Fujiko groans in irritation. “I - ah, whatever, can you just hold her please while I go get her some water? Hang on a minute, Y/N. I'll be right back.”

“My pleasure,” responds Lupin casually. You feel Fujiko’s grip lessen as she switches off with Lupin. Your coughing fit has slowed a bit, but your throat is itchy and irritated from screaming. Instead of recreating Fujiko’s hold, Lupin gently pulls you into his lap, turning you on your back so that when he leans forward and looks down at you, your gaze meets his. “Come on Y/N, breathe with me now.” He takes a deep, noisy breath and holds it until you take one as well. “Okay now let it out through your nose. And again.” 

You follow his instructions as he leads you through the exercise a few more times until Fujiko returns with a glass of tap water. Lupin helps you slowly sit up so that you're upright but still leaning against his strong chest. In any other case, you're certain the idea of touching Lupin's bare chest would've turned you into a blathering, blushing mess.

"Here, drink." Fujiko offers you the glass and you take it, focusing hard to keep your hands from shaking. The water sloshes over the sides as you struggle to bring it to your lips

“Hold on, I’ve got it,” says Fujiko as she takes it back and gently lifts it to your mouth. “Drink slowly okay, we don’t want you to choke.”

In the back of your mind, you’re embarrassed. You can’t even hold a glass without trembling, but that shame is outweighed by your gratitude for your friends and the overwhelming feeling of relief knowing that Lupin is okay.

Once you’ve drinken the whole glass, Fujiko places it on the bedside table and takes your hands in hers. You can feel Lupin rest his chin on your head. Their combined touch is comforting and safe.

“I’m sorry,” you say, casting your attention downward to your lap. “I’m so embarrassed.” You give a small awkward laugh. “Lupin got fucking shot and you guys are in here fussing over me because I had a nightmare.” 

Fujiko releases your hands and instead takes your chin in her grasp. She lifts it gently so that your eyes meet hers. 

“Trust me,” she says, “Lupin gets shot a lot. This is nothing special.”

“Hey!”

Fujiko rolls her eyes at him and smiles at you. “Are you okay, Y/N? What happened?”

You flush instantly, your cheeks on fire at the idea of a little nightmare causing so much trouble. “It’s embarrassing …”

“It’s alright, Y/N. We’re your friends. We’re here for you, no matter what.” Fujiko takes your hands in her again and nods in agreement. You feel Lupin’s arms slip around your middle and rest in your lap, his chin returning to the spot atop your head. 

“O-Okay.” You take a deep breath in through your nose and let it release. In a whisper you relay the events of your dream, noting how no matter how hard you tried to scream no words seemed to be coming out. As you explain the final part, where you’d watch Lupin’s eyes close as the screen faded out, you feel tears slip down your cheeks. 

“I-I was so worried,” you whimper. “There was nothing I could do. I could only watch. T-There was so much blood.”

“Oh, Y/N,” says Fujiko softly as she clicks her tongue and wipes away your tears with her finger. Lupin is quiet from behind you, but you feel his hold on you tighten into an embrace. You turn in his grasp and bury your face into the crook of his neck, your soft whimpers morphing into a full out sob. 

“It’s okay, Y/N. Fujiko and I are here. We’re not going anywhere.”

“That’s right. Everything’s fine, Y/N.”

The three of you sit in silence, your two friends waiting patiently for your sobs to stop. When you've finally calmed yourself down and regained your composure, you offer them another apology.

"No need," says Lupin. "But I think it would be best if we all went back to sleep. We'll need to be well-rested if we want to get that broach."

You nod, though internally you can't help but feel nervous. What if you had another nightmare?

Lupin seems to sense your fear and says, "Well, there's no use in me going back to my room since I already went to all the trouble to break in here, right Y/N?" He gives you a wink.

Fujiko gives a heavy sigh, defeated. 

* * *

An hour later and you're curled up in bed again. At your insistence, Fujiko allows Lupin to spend the night under the condition that he stay on his side. You're happy to be nestled between them, acting as a barrier for the thief’s advances. Lupin doesn't seem to mind. 

“Alright, everyone set?” he asks. Both you and Fujiko nod and he flips off the lamp on the bedside table. You feel Fujiko squeeze your hand before stretching out into a more comfortable position. 

“Goodnight, Y/N,” she says.

“Goodnight, Fujiko.”

Lupin chuckles softly, “Sweetest of dreams my dear, Y/N.” You hear Fujiko scoff in disgust from her place on the bed and you can’t help but giggle. 

“You too Lupin, goodnight,” you say, closing your eyes. 

“And Fuji-cakes,” Lupin singsongs. Knowing that if she ignores him, he’ll just keep going, Fujiko sighs heavily and replies, “Yes?” 

“Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” You can feel Lupin reach over you. There’s a gasp from Fujiko and then the sound of a hard smack and a whimper from Lupin. Though you don’t see, you could hazard a guess that Lupin had perhaps tried to pinch her.

“Hey, stay on your side, Lover!”

“Aw, come on, Fujiko!”

“Behave yourself or I’m kicking you out!”

Lupin gives a dramatic gasp as if she's suggested something heinous, “But what about, Y/N? She _needs_ me.”

You snort, their banter is familiar and comforting. “I’ll allow it. Go to sleep Lupin.”

Lupin clicks his tongue in annoyance at your treachery but retreats to his side of the bed. With your friends beside you, you can’t help but smile as you fall asleep.


End file.
